The 21mm focal length would allow me to either get closer or wider, while the 50mm focal length would allow me to go in tighter or provide additional compression to the documentation.Īdmittedly, it was easier than usual to optimize usage of either the 21 SEM or APO 50 on this day trip. From the perspective of documentation, I felt sufficiently confident that a super wide angle lens and a normal lens would provide enough angle of coverage for travel style reportage. Thus, I brought along with me the Leica 21mm f/3.4 Super Elmar ASPH, and the Leica APO 50mm f/2 Summicron ASPH. So, I might as well dust off a pair of different lenses, passed over as of late, just to live a little less comfortably on the edge. I figured we were going to be in sunny Southern California, anyways. The world after all isn't always framed at the 28mm focal length, and it doesn't always need to be documented wide open at f/1.4. And yes, Anna is still here. But, I was determined to add some variance to my documentation. It's also why I've been collaborating with Anna for close to a year.īut I promised myself before flying to Los Angeles that I would venture outside my comfort zone. I am a creature of habit, which is why I've grown roots on my preferred Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summilux ASPH. And even when I travel abroad, I keep on returning to where I've been before. After all, it's not often I wander off the beaten path between the Valley and the Hudson. Time to unleash the 435 horses from the gates. First stop, California's Historic Route 66 Museum on route to Barstow.įor someone like myself who seldom deviates beyond the confines of his obsessive compulsive comfort zone, it was befitting that we went on a road trip for this blog post. and me without my neutral density filter. Well. Only problem is, I had no idea just how sunny the desert is. So with a direction in mind, I surrendered to my spirit guide with the help of Google Maps, following step by step the audio instructions fed through our rental's Apple CarPlay. It was time for Anna and me to have our "Thelma and Louise" moment with the top down. Something to fill our potentially empty days. But I figured, I could always just play it by ear as the crow flies. Still, it's not as if I knew exactly what to expect or what to photograph. And now that I'm within driving distance, it wouldn't make sense not to go the extra mile. Having said that, the setting of his images somehow always finds a way to stir my imagination. It makes me wonder what it would be like to use it as a backdrop for my own bucket list documentation. If I recall, there is a certain opinionated photoblogger who makes an annual pilgrimage to Route 66, where he photographs what he misguidedly calls his art. Besides, I don't think Anna would be too keen on staying overnight at a Motel 6, after getting an earful from me. It wouldn't make sense for us to drive too far afield only be too far to retire back to the comfort of our prepaid accommodations and nightly turndown service of complementary treats and bottled water. This pony car needed miles tacked onto it. One look at it, and I knew what I was destined to do. I mean, how cool is that! It was 302 cubic inches of American splendor. One could only wonder what would happen if my head weren't attached to something useful?īut then, something happened that made me regret my oversight. I scored a proper car from a rental company for our stay. It was candy yellow, it had eight cylinders, and it could drive with the top down. I would never use it unless it's attached onto my lens. In all the years I've had a neutral density filter, I don't remember ever bringing one along, just in case I needed it. It's like my lens hood. Though to be fair, I never originally planned on going there - assuming if I actually made a plan before leaving Hong Kong. Next time I wander through the desert, remember to bring a neutral density filter.
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